On the 23rd of July I arrived save in Nairobi and was picked up by Peter Baumgartner, the chairman of the Gentiana Primary school and a former journalist of the “Tages-Anzeiger”. He lives here since 1994 and after his retirement he started organising the funds for the Gentiana Primary school as well as producing a journal called “the organic farmer”.

The Gentiana primary school is a school for poor and rather mentally weaker kids of the community around it which cannot afford to go to an official school. I made a picture of one of the communities where they are living in.

When the school started in 1994 there were only volunteer teachers without professional education and any salary. Since 2001 the school is being financially supported by different sponsors, especially by Peter himself and some other donators. Therefore they could afford to build up new school buildings and the teacher got a salary and possibilities to re-educate themselves.

Now the school inherits about 330 pupils and 13 teachers, but actually there is only place for around 240 pupils, so the classes are much bigger and the school costs much more than foreseen.

On the picture above you see one part of my way to the school and one of the teachers called Philip, who does accompany me not only on this way but also after school for a beer or two and dinner. He’s very helpful as most of the Kenyan I have met so far, and in return, I do invite him of course, for the salaries of a teacher here are lower than low.

Here some pupils waiting for their breakfast during the morning break. Every day they get the same food called “porridge”, but at least they get something to eat. This is the kitchen were the food is prepared.

Me and some pupils at lunchtime, where they get maize or rice every day.

One of these pupils I have already closed into my heart, for “Camao” is only 70 centimeters high, but as you will confirm more than cute! ;)

On these two pictures there are some exotic animals we do not find in Switzerland. The turtle is living with some other adults and around 20 youngsters in the garden of Edith Baumgartner, Peter’s wife. The chameleon on the other hand is a common animal in Africa which I find, if this comparison is possible, almost as interesting as all the pupils and teachers of the GPS my camera. =) Actually they use it more often than I do and are always very proud to be on one of the pictures. For example the gardener himself, which proudly shows how good he is at watering the plants, even with two … at the same time! ;)

On my school way there are found many different “stores” of the communities, such as this “fundi”, which repaired my lovely shoes for around 0.10 Swiss francs….

… or a computer store, which provides some hardware tools. I just had to take a picture, for I do not know who will buy this hardware tools, for I have not found one computer around this area, for electricity is very rare and the only place I have found Internet is at a guesthouse closer to the city heart, but even there the connection is unbelievable slow, why I have to prepare all mails and blog entries at home, in order to be ready to “copy-paste” it when the channel finally is open for a little while. ;)

Or a store selling tab water. Although I have to add that it should not be drunk by people who are not used to it, unless it is boiled.

And the final picture I would like to show you in this first blog entry is one of my guesthouse’s night guard who helped me to learn some useful sentences in Kiswahili. As a reward, I have financed him his first glasses so that from now one he will be able to read the bible during the night shift instead of getting bored. He was very thankful for this gift and it cost me around 600 Kenyan shillings, which is the incredible amount of only 12 Swiss francs!!!